Crescent Moon
by Everything.Fandomized
Summary: When Rin meets Inuyasha's brother for the first time, why does she feel this great sense of loss every time he walks away even though she doesn't know him? When he joins the school, Rin knew he was only going to bring trouble. A/U Warning: Dark Themes
1. First Encounter

**A/N: Hey all you readers. This'll be my first Inuyasha fanfic so don't kill me if it turns out really shit. **

**Anyways enjoy…**

Chapter one: First meeting

Her body glistened with sweat as her body moved fast. Her breath came out in short breathes as she picked up her pace trying to keep up. She moved with the rhythm that the man she knew so well in front of her had set. This was only a warm up to Rin but she still found great joy in it. She loved how her body felt when she moved with the beat as she followed her dance instructor.

She glanced around the room noticing that everyone had given up half way. All eyes were on her and their instructor as they kept on with the dance routine. The one they were now dancing was a new routine and her class mates still hadn't figured out all the steps yet. Rin had a strong memory so she used this to her advantage by dancing.

Her body had always been able to move to the smallest of beats even if she was just walking down the street. Whether it had been someone tapping their foot, or a car beeping there horn, either way it was still a beat that she could dance to. She never understood why, but the music spoke to her and she always found Hip Hop easy. Dancing enabled her to express her feelings in ways she wasn't able to.

The music came to a sudden stop and she stood there puffing.

The dance instructor clapped. "Now that's what I love to see. Class we'll pick this up again Friday afternoon. You are dismissed."

Rin walked over to her bag and grabbed a drink bottle taking a big gulp of water. Her heart was still beating fast from the choreography. The dance routines were getting harder and harder as the years went on but she loved it. It was a challenge.

Rin had been dancing for as long as she could remember and she had steadily been moving up the ranks. She recently got moved up to master classes in the middle of the year and as much as she took great joy since it was a great achievement but it meant she had to leave her close friends behind.

She grabbed a small towel to wipe off the sweat that was covering her forehead as her dance instructor came up to her with a big grin.

"Atta girl. You really set the bar high for your class mates. It's good, it keeps the motivation going."

"Thank you Saito-san. See you Friday" She replied with a small smile. She could feel the daggers digging into her back as her classmates glared at her. Even though her teacher thought it was great, her peers didn't seem to agree. With one last smile she slung her bag over her shoulder and left the room.

As she exited the dance studio three girls from her class walked up to her with angry expressions on their faces.

"You think you're so good don't you?" One of the girls spoke.

Rin could only smirk in response. "Yeah I do, you really need to pick up your game in class. You nearly twisted your ankle on that spin." Came her smug reply. She gave them one final glance before moving around them to walk towards the bus stop. Honestly she could care less what they thought about her, she didn't have enough time for people to waste it. Everyone assumed that she was just a bitch who liked to show off her talent when really she just enjoyed dancing so much that she didn't give a damn about what people thought.

She glanced down at her watch, which made her pick up the pace. It was already 5:30 in the afternoon and if she weren't careful she wouldn't make her bus. And she really didn't want to have to wait another half an hour for the next one.

She could see her bus coming in the distance and made a sprint for the bus stop. She was so glad that dancing had left her body in tip-top condition. She very rarely got sick and if she did it wouldn't last for more than a few days. Her friends envied her because she could eat heaps but never put on weight so she could wear anything and feel confident about herself.

She stepped on the bus and put her ticket in the machine. She took her seat at the very back and pulled out her ear-phones. The bus ride back to her home was a short one and the bus pulled up right outside her house. She thanked the bus driver on her way out and walked in her small home.

Rin's family weren't poor, neither were they rich. She lived with her aunty who adopted her at a young age because her real parents died due to certain circumstances. The specifics were never clear…

Her aunty was the only family she had left and she should be grateful they took her in, right? To Rin it felt like her aunt never had enough time for her – although she would never voice those opinions - but obviously it was because she worked hard. She viewed her aunt as her mum as she had always been the mother figure in her life. She was the perfect role model; she worked hard to support the family.

They lived in the typical Japanese small home but Rin could never ask for anything better. She walked upstairs to her room to drop her bags at the foot of the bed and trudged back down to the kitchen to prepare dinner. When her aunt came home she was often tired and worn out so she was always in a bad mood. Rin could understand why because she had to support the whole family. So Rin made dinner for the family to lift the burden off her aunt's shoulders. Most of the time Rin was home alone as her aunt was always working as much as she could while her husband did who knows what…

Her uncle wasn't the best man in the universe. He was the complete opposite to her aunt. Rin didn't understand how her aunt put up with his shit for so long. He would always come home drunk, the smell of alcohol filling the air. He didn't work "much" and he would never tell her what he did for "business." She had a sneaking suspicion as to what it was but she didn't want to admit it to herself. Sometimes he would come into her room to harass her, teasing her that he would stop paying for her classes.

When Rin finished with the dinner she sat aside a small portion for herself to eat which she took upstairs to her room. She was starving so she quickly wolfed it down. She just prayed to Kami that her uncle wouldn't return before her aunt. She could hear the clock ticking on her desk and kept glancing at it every five minutes or so. She heard the key in the door and silently prayed it was her. She heard heavy steps and groaned at her luck.

His footsteps were uneven as he staggered up the stairs. She hoped that he would pass out before he reached her room. Her heart started beating as she heard his footsteps getting closer. It felt like she was in a horror movie, like she was the victim trying to escape.

Well she didn't escape.

He stepped in her room and the heavy stench of alcohol permeated through the room. She made a mental note to air her room out after he left.

"Hey darling how was your day?" He slurred

"It was fine," She said trying to keep her tone light when in truth she was seething with anger. She couldn't handle living with him any longer.

"Look at me when you're speaking," He slapped her across the face hard but she barely felt the pain as she tried to keep her emotions in check. She lifted her eyes to look him straight in the eyes and for a moment she thought she saw fear. "J-just remember your place you little whore, I can take away everything you own and I'll cancel those shitty ballet classes of yours."

"They're not ballet classes…they are hip hop classes." She snarled.

"Whatever. Your just a waste of time, space, and money," He said leaving the room. She heard him retching in the bathroom and assumed he vomited. Hopefully he didn't make a mess or else she would have to clean it up.

Her body finally relaxed when he left the room. She opened all the windows and turned on the fan to get rid of the smell of alcohol. He angered her so much, she really didn't understand what her aunt saw in him. She looked at the clock and nearly fainted at the time. It was already 8:00pm and she had a heap of homework to do. Her teacher was sure going to murder her this time. Hip hop took all her time and she always forgot about homework and assignments but she somehow always stayed on top of her grades. If she didn't she was sure her aunt would kick her out onto the streets.

She finally got it all done, but when she looked at the clock she groaned. It was already 12:00pm. Sighing she got up and took off her bra before pulling on her PJ's.

-:-:-

Rin groaned when her alarm went off. It was Tuesday…one day closer to Friday. She sighed as she pulled herself up out of bed. She went through her normal routine; showering, putting on her school uniform, eating breakfast, packing her bag, and catching the bus to school. As she walked up to her school locker she glanced over when she heard her name being called. She smiled when she saw her good friends Kagome and Sango.

"Hey guys, what's up?" They both had wide grins on their faces and excitement was practically dancing in their eyes.

"Haven't you heard? It's all Inuyasha has been whining about." Kagome chuckled.

"No I haven't. What the hell are you guys talking about?" Rin asked while slamming the door of her locker shut.

"Inuyasha's brother is joining the school." Sango said.

Demons weren't uncommon in this school. Demons and humans had a long history in war, government, friendship, marriage and economy etc. The school accepted both humans and Yokai in the school and they all interact with each other well. But having two dog demons wasn't common. Rin vaguely recalled reading something on them in history class.

"Huh, well that'll be interesting." Rin sarcastically, she wasn't really that interested in new students. She just wanted to get through the day and hopefully the full school year.

"Interesting? Ok honey, when you see him, you'll think otherwise." Kagome said.

"Oh really?"

They kept up the chatter as they walked towards homerooms. Kagome had to split off into a different classroom as Sango and Rin were lucky enough to be in the same class.

Rin pulled out her earphones and plugged them in and went through her dance routine in her head. She did the feet movement under the table and she smiled at the feeling; she always felt at peace when she was dancing. She was so into the music she didn't notice the new boy walk into the class.

She heard the teacher speak and she pulled out her ear plugs to listen. She glanced up and froze when she made eye contact with the brightest golden eyes she'd ever seen. The gold swam in his eyes keeping her transfixed. The class went silent as they watched the new comer. Rin was appalled by how some of the girls outwardly stared at him as if he were a piece of meat. Murmuring went around the room as the girls started giggling and whispering. Rin didn't realise she was still staring until she felt Sango tapped her shoulder.

"Didn't we say your thoughts would change?" she giggled. Pure amusement was plastered on her face and Rin could only imagine what her own expression looked like.

"Y-yeah no kidding…he looks so much different to Inuyasha…" Her sentence trailed off as she took in more of his appearance. He had long silver hair that shined in the lighting and blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. Two purple stripes adorned his cheeks on both sides and she could only marvel at his beauty. You'd think that he would look girly but he held an air of authority and power that seemed to hang around him. He looked a lot older than most of the guys in their year but he could pull off being a high schooler.

The school shirt was tight and didn't give the girls a lot to imagine. He wore the school attire correctly but in no way would it be classified as nerdy. His tie was slightly loosened and he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. You could tell he was brought up differently to Inuyasha, but he looked like a person you wouldn't want to mess with.

He introduced himself to the class as Sesshomaru Taisho, and the teacher began to explain basic introductory things to him. Their teacher was a slender Kitsune, a fox demon. Her tail was swishing around nervously, and a small blush was present on her face. It seemed this new student not only had the female students hooked but also the teachers. He gave her a polite nod and a small bow before heading to the back of the classroom to sit in an empty chair.

Rin looked around the room and saw the tension amongst the male students. The new boy was definitely going to have some trouble. A snake demon on the side of the room sneered in distaste. She watched in amusement, how stupid could the guys get. She couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her but she brushed it off as her mind playing tricks. She sighed and sat back in the chair, this year was sure going to be interesting.

-:-:-

"So…what do you think?" Kagome asked already getting straight to the point.

The three of them sat in a circle in Sango's bedroom. They decided to go to her house to catch up; after all they had a lot to gossip about. Sango rolled her eyes, she wasn't really pursuing a relationship but they all knew that she had a crush on Miroku.

"Not my type." She said.

"Yeah he was alright." Rin agreed.

"The expression on your face said otherwise." Sango teased.

"Oh shut up. I'll admit he is hot." Rin giggled throwing a pillow at her. "Which brings me to this question, how the hell is he in high school? He looks so much older."

They both shrugged at her question but it was a good point.

"He looked so different but alike to Inuyasha." Kagome gushed. She kept going on and Rin and Sango just rolled their eyes and giggled at their friend. Rin had to admit she was a little jealous of what Inuyasha and Kagome had. But something in her heart told her not to be jealous as her turn was coming. How she knew, she had no idea.

-:-:-

Rin glanced at her watch as she quickly hurried down the street. She wanted to make it home before 6:30 and she left Sango's house really late. She decided to walk than catch the bus because she would most likely make it home before it arrived. She gasped when she saw the time and quickened up her pace not noticing the small silver bracelet fall off her wrist.

When she walked in the door her aunt was quick to ask questions. "Where were you?"

"I was at Sango's house doing homework." She said keeping her head down low.

"And you didn't think to ring me? Why do you think I gave you a phone?"

"I'm sorry."

Her aunts eyes softened and she gave Rin a short awkward hug. Rin quicklu ran upstairs, dumping her bag on the floor in the attempt to avoid her aunt. She could hear the heavy clunk of all her books in her bag tipping over and she growled in annoyance. She rested on her bed as she did a quick recap of her day and sighed under the stress. She got an assignment or homework for nearly every subject but the one good thing out of her day was that the new boy was in nearly every one of her classes.

_Coincidence?_

To relieve some stress she decided to have a warm relaxing shower. She grabbed the soap bar that smelt like honeycomb and lathered up her skin, she started with her arms and she sighed in relief until she noticed something was off. Immediately catching on what was missing she glanced down at her wrist and gasped in horror. Her birth mothers bracelet wasn't sitting where it always was. It was the last thing Rin had left of her and she had never taken it off in her life. She frantically searched the floor of the shower hoping that it had just fallen off but doubt clawed at her stomach. When she didn't find it silent tears fell down her cheeks and she tried to stop them as she was not one to cry easily but they wouldn't stop falling.

The tears kept falling but mixed in with the shower water. She stayed in the shower for what seemed like forever until her aunty began knocking on the door for her to get out, commenting on how Rin didn't have to pay the water bill. She jumped out and got dressed in a daze. She did her homework hoping that she wrote something coherent and skipped dinner and went straight to bed.

When Rin woke up she was contemplating to ask her aunt whether she could just stay in sick. To anyone else she would be overacting but to her it was a big thing. After 10 minutes of just lying there she got up and went through her usual morning routine.

-:-:-

"Hey Rin what's up? You look like shit." Sango said when she took in the sight of her friend.

"Oh thanks Sango, way to make me feel better." Rin had dark circles under her eyes and it was obvious she hadn't slept.

"No really what's wrong Rin?" Kagome asked her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"I lost my mums bracelet." She sighed. She ignored the lump that formed in her throat as it would only lead to more tears.

Kagome gave her a tight hug at the sight of the tears welling in Rin's eyes. "I'm sure you'll find it."

"Yeah but I don't even know where I lost it." Rin's voice cracked, she was so close to crying again but she refused to do it in the middle of school

"Come." Sango said. Kagome and Sango dragged Rin into the closest bathroom. They heard the bell go but ignored it.

"Breathe Rin, it'll be fine." Kagome said rubbing her back in a comforting and reassuring gesture.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes we are Rin. Someone will return it to you." Sango said. "Cheer up. C'mon lets go to class before we're late."

"Okay." She mumbled in a small voice.

They ushered Rin out of the toilets and waved to Kagome as she left for homewroom. Sango practically pushed Rin into the classroom and apologised to the teacher for their lateness. The day went by in a blur and soon enough the bell rang for the end of school.

"Hey, you wanna do something this arvo guys?" Sango asked trying to get her friend to lighten up. She wanted to take her mind off the bracelet because it was obvious it was tormenting her.

"Yeah sure, why don't we go see that new movie we've been planning to see for like ever?" Kagome suggested.

"Ummm, I'm not really in the mood guys. But thanks for trying to cheer me up but I have a load of homework to get done." Rin sighed.

"C'mon Rin…live a little. You're always either dancing or doing homework." Sango whined.

"Dancing is living to me." she snapped surprising both of them. They didn't realise how much it meant to her. How it got her through dark times.

"At least let me give you a lift home." Kagome suggested.

"Nah, I feel like walking. See you tomorrow guys."

"Fine I give up!" Sango exclaimed throwing her hands in the air. She could never seem to get the girl to loosen up. She never partied hard, never got drunk, and never had a boyfriend. What sort of 17 year old was she anyway? Sango officially made it her mission to get Rin to ease up and be more open. Rin talked heaps, but she never truly said anything.

The two girls watched Rin leave in dismay. She really was broken and not just over the bracelet. She always had been, but who could blame her. She lost both her parents.

"When do you think she'll go back to her old self and actually let people take care of her?" Kagome asked

"I have no idea, hopefully soon. She used to be so much fun." Sango replied.

-:-:-

Rin slowly strolled down the uneven footpath, her bag swinging idly by her side. As she walked she payed close attention to the cracks in the cement as she stepped over them one by one. The wind tousled her hair as a large gust of wind blowed down the street. To somebody else it would be a normal peaceful day but to Rin it was an incredibly dull day.

She rounded the corner and collided into something hard. She rebounded off whatever it was and started falling until it caught her. She looked up and gasped when she looked up into golden eyes and immediately stilled in his arms.

"I-I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." She stammered a faint blush visible on her cheeks.

"Hn...no worries. I was searching for you. I came to return a lot possession, I believe this is yours." Sesshomaru's voice was smooth and unknown to her why, she felt safe around him. She had only just met the guy officially! He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet.

"Oh my god, thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." She cried.

He pulled her wrist out and gently tied the bracelet back to where it belonged. She let out a breathe that she didn't know she was holding when she felt the familiar weight of her mums bracelet rested on her hand, but for some odd reason it felt different. It felt slightly heavier and warmer than it was meant to be. She was expecting it to be cold because it was metal but she guessed it was because it was in his pocket. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion but none the less she was happy she got it back.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked bringing her attention back to him.

"No...nothing. Thank you so much," She bowed slightly as she thanked him and then remembered something, "Ah! I never properly introduced myself, I'm R-rin." She stuttered slightly.

"Sesshomaru." He cocked his head to the side slightly looking at her intently.

She suddenly felt unnerved at his stare, almost like he was evaluating her. "Well thanks again, see you at school" Rin thanked again giving him a small smile but she still sounded a little unsure. Unsure of what though? She brushed it off as just over thinking it, _but how did he know she would be walking this way?_

"Hn"

Rin didn't know how she was ever going to thank him properly. He didn't realize just how important this bracelet was to her. She side stepped around him and made her way home feeling much happier and lighter. Who knew that such a small thing could make her mood lighten?

As she walked further away, she got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It tightened as she got further way and for a second she thought she would suffocate. She glanced back behind her but Sesshomaru had already disappeared. _How did he walk so fast? Must be a demon thing._

She still felt unbelievably happy but she felt like something was missing. And every step she took it grew. She did a self once over but nothing seemed out of place. She could even say that she felt sad. _But why? She got her mother's bracelet back, she shouldn't be feeling like she lost something dear to her. _

Nothing she thought made her feel any better and the further she walked away the more sick she felt. She had an awful feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away and as soon as she got home she had a drink and fell asleep even though it was only 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 

-:-:-

"Rin!" her aunt shouted. "Rin get up now!"

She rolled over facing away from the voice until she realised who it was. She bolted upright and gave her aunt an apologetic expression. She had a list of chores that she hadn't completed and she knew she was in major trouble. Her aunt never liked someone who slacked off, which was kind of contradicting herself as she married such a slob.

"I'm so sorry aunty. I fell asleep and forgot all about my jobs."

Her aunt took in the sight of her face and realised she looked a little pale. "Rin, are you feeling alright." She asked in concern. She placed the back of her hand on Rin's forehead and it was searing hot. "You have a high temperature."

"I don't know, it just came on really quick. There might be a virus going around the school." She coughed, she was feeling very ill. _Man did it come on quick_

"I don't think you should go to school, and skip your hip hop lesson."

"No! I promise I'll be feeling better."

Her aunty took in her appearance and made her decision. "_Only _if you're better. If not, forget it. You're an odd child, shouldn't you want to skip school."

"Well I don't like missing out." was her simple reply.

"Well I'll make dinner, you get some rest." she said brushing hair out of her face. As soon as she was out the door, Rin fell back asleep.

-:-:-

**A/N: Yeah, sorry this chapter is a little boring but it's the first chapter. I'm just getting back into the motion of writing. To some of you readers you will be thinking, **_**WTF is this author on. **_**Well chill, this'll all make sense in later chapters and it actually is relevant to the story.**

**Anyways, was it good or bad? I personally thought it was shit but I promise it'll get better. Please keep reading and PLEASE review. No haters, but I don't mind constructive reviews.**

**Remember: REVIEWS = FASTER WRITING = FASTER UPDATES. **


	2. Disoriented

Chapter 2: The Fair

"I'm so glad you came!" Kagome hugged Rin getting excited.

"Yeah, I managed to convince my parents…well aunt. But not too many rides, I still feel really sick." She giggled.

"Hmmm…I wonder if you picked up a virus." Sango wondered.

"Who knew Sango, had mother instincts.

"Well c'mon let's go on a ride! The time is just ticking away." Sango shouted. For some fun they decided to go to the local fair that was only going to be there for a limited amount of time. They ran to the nearest thing and did a few games like throwing darts at balloons, gaining points. They laughed and joked for a few hours as they went through all the rides.

"I really wanna go on that ride." Sango said, pointing up to an incredibly tall ride. It was one of the ones that made you shit bricks because it was so high. You would sit in a chair and it would go up slowly and then suddenly it would drop. Rin's face visibly blanched at the height and they giggled at her expression.

"You can sit this one out if you want." Kagome giggled. They knew Rin hated heights and used to tease her about it all the time.

"I don't know how you guys can do it. Yeah I might just go and get some food." she nervously rubbed the back of her neck feeling embarrassed.

"Meet us at the bottom in like 20 minutes. The line will take a while to die down." Sango called as she tugged Kagome with her.

When they were out of sight Rin sighed and tried to look and see what food she felt like. She strolled along the various food options and quickly dismissed all of them. She wanted a proper meal and not the food they were selling like, fairy floss **(A/N: Cotton candy if you want) **hot dogs, burgers, pies etc. She looked around and realised that she had gotten lost. She tried to find the path she had come but there were too many people in the way. She stood on the tips of her toes trying to look over the many heads of the people in the crowd but still couldn't get her bearings.

Rin kept looking around and she started to panic. Hopefully her friends haven't moved from the ride so she could find them again easily. Her heart rate increased and she could feel it beating hard in her chest and she started taking in shallow breaths. People kept pushing around her and it was making her situation so much worse. She hurried over to the side to avoid getting knocked over from the oncoming traffic of people.

_Rin gripped onto her uncle's hand tightly. She was only 5 and he was leading her into a pub so he could catch up with his friends. He had to look after her for the day as her aunt was at work. He decided to drag her with him after all he didn't want a small brat to interrupt his plans. When they walked up to the bar he told her to stay seated on a stool while he ignored her and talked to his friends._

_After a while she nervously tapped him on the shoulder._

"_What do you want you little brat?" He snapped._

_She shrunk back into the seat in fright at his sudden anger. "I need to go to the toilet." _

"_It's that way." He said pointing to a door with a sign that said 'Toilets'. "Can't you read?" _

"_Am I meant to go by myself? Aunty never makes m-" _

"_Well your aunt isn't here now is she?" he gave her a cold glare and she gulped nervously under his stare. She stood up and walked towards the door making sure to manoeuvre around the numerous tables. When she went through the door he had pointed to, she was greeted by many hallways going different ways. _

"_Don't they have signs?" She asked herself. Which way was the toilet? She could smell food coming from one direction so she guessed that it was the kitchens that way. She went down the left corridor hoping she went the right way and walked slowly. The hallways were dark and only one light illuminated her path but it kept flickering on and off. Because she was only little she was scared to go any further alone. Her imagination played tricks on her and the shadows seemed to grow and reach out towards her. _

_A cold hand grabbed her shou- _

A warm hand grabbed her shoulder making her flinch away in fright.

"Rin, are you alright?" She knew who it was before she turned around. No one had a voice like his. She spun around to face none other than Sesshomaru. She was relieved to find someone she actually knew and gave him a small smile. She shook her head at her stupidity. She was 17 for kami's sake, her fear of getting left behind should have passed.

Concern flickered in his eyes for a moment and something else that Rin couldn't place because it vanished before she could decipher it. His usual indifferent expression was set in place once again. For some reason that sick feeling that had been building in her stomach all day suddenly lifted and she gave him a smile.

"Oh hey, yeah I'm fine. I just kind of lost my friends." She injected a small laugh but she knew she wasn't fooling anybody. Rin was known for being a terrible liar but in honest truth that was just a façade. In fact she was an incredible liar.

He must think she's so stupid. First losing a bracelet and now losing her friends.

He motioned for her to follow and they went through the herd of people. To her it felt like the crowd was parting, creating a small walkway just so they could walk through a small walkway. She looked at him out the corner of her eyes in amazement, power was constantly radiating off of him. When he caught her staring she quickly diverted her eyes and she knew the heat creeping to her cheeks instantly gave her away.

After walking for a while she gave him a curious glance as they started walking along the way she had come. She looked around remembering certain rides and she realised he was taking her to where she needed to be. When her friends were in sight she waved gaining there attention, they smiled in relief but when they saw her, their expression changed to curiosity when they saw a certain Inuyokai walking beside her. But how did he know where to take her?

"B-but, how did you know where to take me?" she asked, starting to voice her thoughts.

"You'll know eventually." He replied before disappearing into the crowd. Now she really was confused. Who just helps someone and then disappears without being thanked. Maybe he was sick of saving her all the time.

Rin noticed the sick feeling creeping back into her stomach and the feeling of loss gripping at her heart. A trip to the doctor's seemed to be in order because she was definitely coming down with something.

"Hey wasn't that Inuyasha's brother?" Kagome asked a cheeky smile on her face.

"Yeah…"

"What was that about?" Sango asked. "Wasn't he the one who gave you back your bracelet?"

Rin glanced down at her bracelet in wonder. "Ya know, I have no idea what just happened."

"Awww cute you have your own knight in shining armour!" Kagome teased.

"Get stuffed, this _is _Inuyasha's _brother_ we're talking about. Isn't he meant to be a stuck up asshole or something like that," Rin rolled her eyes at her friend's antics.

"Whatever you say…" Kagome said. She had a smile that said she knew something Rin didn't and boy did that irritate her. She's been looking at Rin like that for a couple of days and it was piquing her curiosity.

-:-:-

_You'll know eventually…_

What was there to know? This question swirled around her mind as she laid in bed. She hadn't been able to sleep all night because a certain dog demon was plaguing her thoughts. Rin huffed and rolled over on her side trying to get the right sleeping position but that question was relentlessly keeping her awake. She growled under her breath in annoyance because she couldn't believe she was losing sleep over some guy.

_Why can't I stop thinking about him? Rin stop being so stupid, being caught up over one guy that probably doesn't even spare you one thought. _

Knowing she wouldn't get any sleep, she rang Kagome. She didn't care that it was…2:30am. After a couple of rings, Kagome answered with a tired yawn.

"Rin, its freakin' two-thirty in the morning. What do you want?" She mumbled tiredly. Her voice was all croaky and Rin couldn't help but laugh because she refused to be the only one losing sleep

"Is there something wrong?" Kagome immediately started to panic at the thought of one of her best friends being in hospital for some outrageous emergency.

"No, chill Kagome." Rin giggled but made sure to keep her voice low. The last thing she needed was her aunt catching her on the phone at this time of night…or _morning_. She heard Kagome let out a deep breath in relief and then quickly groan in frustration.

"You had me worried there for a sec. Anyway what's so important that it couldn't wait till the morning?"

"Huh! It is morning!" Her friends impatient sigh had her quickly get to the subject at hand. "What do you know? I know your keeping something from me and I'm not liking it."

"What do you mean I'm keeping something from you? I would never lie to you Rin, you're my best friend."

"Are you lying to me _because_ I'm your best friend?" Rin asked knowing full well that she had her friend pinned. Kagome hated lying and that was both an advantage and a disadvantage to the people around her. Rin decided to use it to her advantage. It could be considered cruel but what would you?

There was silence on the line for a few seconds and then she heard her sigh in defeat. "Look Rin, I'll admit I'm keeping something from you, but it's not my place to tell you. You'll know eventually."

"THAT'S WHAT HE SAID!" Rin yelled, then immediately regretted her loud volume because she heard her uncle turn over in his sleep. When she heard him snoring again she relaxed, she thought she was dead for a moment.

"Trust me, it was hard for me but it'll make sense in the end." Kagome said grabbing her attention again.

"What will make sense? Does this have something to do with Sesshomaru?"

"Argh! I've already said too much. Just wait and give it a little time."

"Give what t-."

"Rin I'm tired, its 2:30, and you should be sleeping as well. Good night."

"Wait n-." She heard the line go dead and gave an angry sigh. At least she knew that Kagome knows something. She'll have to get Sango to help her get it out of her.

_You'll know eventually_

What's it supposed to mean?

-:-:-

**A/N: Sorry it's such a short chapter. You're probably hating me right now. You're probably just as confused as Rin but trust me, it'll all make sense…hopefully! **

**REVIEWS = FASTER WRITING = FASTER UPDATES**


	3. The Test of Compassion

Chapter 4: The Test of Compassion

"What do you mean you must test my mate?" Sesshomaru growled at his father.

"It's the Council's duty to make sure your mate is suitable for the role." He replied. "After all, you are to become the head of the company and they can't just let _any _human become _your_ mate." Every demon that chooses a human as his mate must be tested. He sighed knowing full well what his son was going through. He could just imagine the torment that was going through his mind.

It was common for an InuYokai to want to protect their mate. It was in their very nature for them to want to be there by their side in times of need and stress. Dog Demons have the need to mark theme as their mate and protect them with their life and her being human makes this instinct stronger.

"If they put one scratch on her, I'll-."

"I assure you, no harm will fall upon your mate." His father reassured him knowing that his son was very capable of threatening people. _And he didn't put it past him…_ "It's only a simple test."

-:-:-

Rin stalked down the hallways towards her best friend in fury. Why wasn't she telling her anything? She had her up all night thinking about it for Kami's sakes. Kagome saw her walking towards her and sighed but she knew she deserved it. After all she knew exactly what it felt like to be left in the dark.

"I know you're mad at me," she sighed when Rin got up to her.

"Mad doesn't even cover it. I have been up all night thinking about how you're lying to me. I'd rather you lie some more and tell me you knew nothing than tell me you know something and say nothing."

"Rin it's way too early in the morning for this, you're making no sense! I know….I seem like an awful friend but-."

"Don't you dare say "you'll know eventually"." Rin said angrily using her finger as quote marks. "What the fuck does that even mean?"

Kagome gasped when she heard Rin cuss. Never does Rin lower herself to use profanity unless she is super angry. It immediately said 'I'm pissed, I dare you to piss me off further'. Kagome just let Rin rant a little longer knowing that her friend needed to vent.

"You call yourself a good friend. And don't say it's not my place to tell you, don't you think I have a right to know considering it's about me? I feel incredibly betrayed. What happened to the pact we made in Year 7-which we have kept till now might I add?" Rin stopped her rant abruptly and Kagome looked over her shoulder to see her staring at a certain yokia. She giggled reverting Rin's angry attention back to her.

"Hey girls, what's the heated discussion about?" Inuyasha grinned strolling towards them. Kagome let out a breath of relief at the slight distraction and went to go hug her boyfriend. He wrapped his arm loosely around her waist and gave her a quick chaste kiss.

"Nothing…we just have a slight difference in opinion." Rin chuckled at the expression on Inuyasha's expression. It was obvious to anyone else that it wasn't _just _a difference of opinion.

The bell rang pausing the argument for now to Kagome's relief. They separated to go into their different classrooms and Rin rolled her eyes. She's got to get it out of Kagome somehow. Now that Kagome had let her rant, she felt a lot better.

-:-:-

The day went quickly and Sango had somehow managed to do the impossible job of keeping Rin and Kagome from biting each other's heads off. She too was a little curious as to what Kagome knew but she trusted her friend's judgement.

Rin hurried to her hip hop class and quickly got changed excited to get her mind off certain things. She smiled at her teacher when he walked in and they began class. Throughout the lesson, her teacher had noticed the obvious change in her dancing. She was a lot slacker and had missed a few steps; it was evident that her mind was elsewhere.

Once the class ended, he walked over to her as she pulled out her drink bottle.

"Is there something that we need to talk about Rin?" He asked.

"No sir, I'm sorry I'm not at my best today." She apologized. She blushed when she heard the sneers coming from her classmates.

"If there is anything you need to talk about, feel free to talk to me." He said before walking away. Rin watched her teacher's retreating form and shrugged as she made her way out the door.

Instead of rushing for the bus to get home early she decided to walk home and take her time. She plugged in her earphones and decided to take another way home for a change of scenery. A cold breeze swept through reminding her that winter was soon approaching and she grimaced. 

Winter wasn't her favourite season but she still loved it. She loved getting hot chocolate, snuggling up in loads of blankets while watching her favourite TV shows and the snow. The minuses were the school uniform, getting sick and just the cold in general. Although she did like watching all the Sakura trees bloom as they added vibrant colours to the streets.

Rin stood at the headlights waiting for a break in the traffic. She glanced to the side to see an old man with long silver hair carrying a lot of shopping bags and she wondered why he didn't use a trolley. He looked familiar but she had never seen him in her life. He had one purple stripe on his cheek and a nagging voice in her head told her to pay more attention.

Jeez she really was going crazy

As she crossed the street, she stopped sharply when she heard a loud crash. She looked behind her and saw that the shopping bags that the old man had been holding had broken and all its contents had fallen out. Poor guy, he was probably trying to get back to his family.

"Oh, let me help you." She gasped. She rushed forward picking up all his groceries and shoved them in her own bag. He gave her a questioning look with bright golden eyes that reminded her of someone but she thought no further of it. "I'll help you take them to your home."

"Oh you don't need to help an old man like me." He said in a croaky voice.

She gave him a warm smile and shook her head. "Don't worry; I have nowhere else to be." This was a lie, in fact she needed to get home before her parents but at the moment she couldn't care less.

The old man hobbled along with her as she followed him towards his home. When he pushed open his front gate she gaped in surprise. What she saw had her completely amazed. She had expected an old run down house but the front garden was pristine with a fountain. _Who owns a fountain? _As they walked up the path she observed her surroundings just waiting for a limo to appear.

A guard standing at the door gave him a bow before opening the door allowing the unknown man and Rin to step in. The interior was just as amazing; a large hallway went along with a number of doors and one archway connected to it.

"Here ya go." Rin announced bringing out all his groceries from her bag. "Where would you like me to put them?"

"No need for that." He replied and she looked down at him in confusion. He smiled at her and a sudden gust of wind encircled him creating a small tornado. When it cleared there stood an extremely tall man that looked almost identical to the Taisho brothers. Rin's eyes widened in fear and she took a large step back.

Now realised realised how stupid she was. She just followed a stranger into his home. She might as well have a neon billboard sign saying "please feel free to kidnap me, I'm an easy target". _Was he going to kill her? _She was no match for a male let alone a yokai!

He sensed her distress and put his hand out in a reassuring gesture. "Let me introduce myself. I am Kenta Taisho, father of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru."

Rin nodded her head slowly, trying to comprehend the situation. "U-umm, please to meet you." She had to admit that over the years she had wondered what Inuyasha's dad looked like. Inuyasha always managed to evade questions about his family.

"And I you."

She noticed he spoke very formally but it seemed like he had a very fatherly personality. Rin heard the click of high heels and she looked over Kenta's shoulders to find a slender woman hurrying towards them. _Things were becoming very weird. _

In a few seconds Rin was crushed in a giant bear hug. "Oh my gosh, it's so great to finally meet you Rin." The strange woman gushed.

"Izayoi don't suffocate the girl." Kenta sighed with a roll of his eyes. Izayoi stuck her tongue out at her husband and Rin smiled at the humorous display.

The couple continued to banter back and forth and Rin blushed feeling as if she were intervening on a private conversation. _What on earth is happening?_ A couple of words stuck out to Rin though that left a weird feeling in her stomach. Words like mate, Sesshomaru, test, doesn't know, etc. None of these made any sense to her and she caught her name a couple of times. She glanced between them and it seemed like they were completely oblivious to her presence. She knew they were talking about her and she started to giggle. They turned to her curiously and she laughed harder.

Izayoi's eyes soften and she formally introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Izayoi, Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's mother. I'm sorry if I scared you I was just excited to finally meet you."

"Finally meet me?"

Kenta gave her a warning glance and she said, "Yes, Inuyasha has said a lot about you but I have never met you before."

"Oh that's typical of Inuyasha. I hate to be rude but I must be on my way now, I was meant to be home…" she glanced at her watch and gasped. "20 minutes ago. Sorry I gotta run." She bowed quickly and ran out the door past the guards.

"She's a cute little thing." Izayoi finally said a note of acceptance clear in her voice.

"Yes, Sesshomaru will be happy that she passed her first test. Test of Compassion…"

-:-:-


	4. Unwanted Memories

Chapter 4: Unwanted Memories

"Yeah and she just came up to me and hugged me outta nowhere."

"Inuyasha's mother is like that. I had the same greeting on my first time, scared the crap out of me. But don't worry she's a genuinely nice person." Kagome said sipping from her tea. "Anyways other than that, do you girls have any more goss?"

Sango suddenly became very red and became very interested in the hot tea that was scolding her hands.

"Have anything to share with us, hmmm Sango?" Rin asked curiously, catching onto her friend's sudden lack of attention.

"O-oh n-no not particularly!"

"We know your lying." Kagome laughed. "C'mon out with it. Spit it!"

"W-well…M-Miroku, kinda asked me out yesterday." She stammered.

Rin and Kagome cheered, catching a few odd stares from the general public. Sango looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole and die. They all knew – as much as she was always in denial - she had been crushing over him forever.

"Good for you Sango." Rin said nudging her friend in the arm.

"Yeah, yeah, it's not all that amazing." she mumbled still a heavy blush on her cheeks.

"My little girl is growing up! Now, what're you wearing?" Kagome asked excitedly. Kagome was the mother hen of the group and they all knew she would have children one day. She was great with kids and as an added bonus; she's a great cook. Inushaya was so lucky to have her.

After another hour Rin waved at her friends as she said goodbye. Of course she had the usual deadline to make. Get home before 6:30. How was she ever going to get a boyfriend if she had to be home by such an early time? Having a curfew at 17 was ridiculous!

She crossed through the park and noticed the afternoon light was quickly fading. Another minus to winter, the days were shorter. She plugged in her earphones and sung along with it. Over the music she heard shouting and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She pulled out one side and looked over to the direction of the voices. There was a group of what looked like a gang of demons crowding around someone. One of the gang members shifted giving her a clear view of a boy cowering in fear.

She swore that his eyes connected with hers and what she saw made her heart break. He had deep brown eyes that held such sorrow and her heart lurched. One of the demons kicked him in the stomach and he doubled over in pain. They all laughed at him and a sudden rage swept through her. She hated seeing people bully the weak. Honestly the saying "pick on someone your own size" applied to her.

Without her realising it she was already rushing over to them, pushing one of the demons away.

"Leave him alone!" She yelled standing in front of the boy so that they would have to go through her first. Courage that she didn't know she had, surged through her from out of nowhere and she glared at the attackers. _Where did all this come from?_

She looked around at the demons and noted that there was a wolf, tiger, fox, and a panther demon. All very menacing put together. Her brain finally caught up and she realised how stupid she was. She didn't come in with any weapons to defend herself, hell she didn't even know why they were targeting this poor boy. For all she knew, this guy could deserve the treatment he was getting.

One of them sneered at her and he said in a low voice that almost passed of as a growl, "Who do you think you are. Mind your own fucking business."

"Well to freakin' bad, it's my business now," she snapped back surprising even herself.

"Girls got nerve." the fox demon chuckled flashing a good pair of sharp fangs. She shivered at the thought of him biting her with those long teeth. This could end very badly…

"Now if you don't back off now, you won't know what you're really messing with." she yelled trying to look as menacing as she could. They were so much taller than her and she really hoped they would back off without a fight.

They all laughed at her empty threat and that only made her angrier.

"Don't believe me, try this!" She kicked the closest demon as hard as she could in the balls and he keeled over in pain. Their laughter stopped abruptly and she smirked at them in triumph. "That's for messing with a dancer you dick heads."

The wolf demon snarled at her and grabbed her by the arm. Using his demon speed, he had her pinned to a nearby tree in no time at all. Her anger and courage quickly drained away and was replaced with fear. A sickening feeling swam in the pit of her stomach and she just knew things were going to end badly.

He grinned at her evilly and used one hand to lock her wrists in place. His friends started yelling at him to continue and he put his hand under her skirt, sliding his hand up her thigh.

She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't allow herself to show weakness. Not again, never again.

Not after the last time.

_Rin lay happily reading a book on her bed. She was home alone again and was waiting for her aunty to come home. It was her first day of High School and she was so excited to tell her about it. She heard the keys unlock the door downstairs and smiled expecting to see her aunty. She rushed out of her room to the top of the stairs to greet her. _

_Her smile faded when she saw her uncle and her eyes widened in fear. The stench of alcohol greeted her and she gagged. He staggered up the steps towards her and she took a step back before running into her room. She slammed the door with a loud bang and hoped he wouldn't come bother her._

_Her luck was out. She cowered in fear under the blankets and she hated how vulnerable she was. The door opened slowly and he stepped in the room stalking towards her._

"_Hello darling," he slurred. He sat next to her and stroked her hair, intertwining small strands around his finger. She flinched away from his cold touch but this only made him angrier. He ripped off the blanket that seemed to be the only thing protecting her and slapped her hard across the face. She fell back and hit the metal headboard of her bed._

_He began to laugh as she cried out in pain. Rin held a small hand to her cheek knowing it would bruise the next day and she knew she would have to make up some sort of excuse for school. He continued to advance on her, unfastening her shirt; buttons popping open one by one. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she tried to fight back as she knew where this was leading to. _

The demons hands were suddenly ripped off her thigh and she let out a shaky break. Her eyes flew open as she heard sudden shouts and screams. She heard a snap and winced when she realised that it was the sound of something breaking. There was a flash of silver and red and she sunk down to her feet, her back sliding down the tree trunk.

The boy she had tried to protect looked at her with apologetic eyes and then he fell limp against the ground. Gaining renewed strength she crawled over to him and brushed his hair out of his face checking for any fatal injuries. Rin laid his head gently on her lap in a caring way and whispered quiet things to him.

Seeing that he had passed out she looked up to see why the yokai's stopped. Rin gasped in surprise when she saw a familiar dog demon fighting off the wolf demon. The once pretty face of Sesshomaru's looked feral as the lines on his face grew jagged. Crimson bled into his gold eyes and it was now that Rin felt true fear.

Sesshomaru snarled at the man who had attacked her and the demon stumbled back holding a now broken arm. Sesshomaru flashed and in a few seconds he had him pinned to the same tree by the throat. His hands grew into claws and squeezed his throat, daring him to move.

"Give me one reason not to kill you."

The male demon let out a choking noise and Sesshomaru eased up on his grip.

"I'm sorry man, I didn't realise she had a boyfriend." The poor demon rasped.

"Wrong answer." Sesshomaru growled. He tightened his grip and the demon looked at him with desperate eyes.

Using his strength he made the wolf demon kneel down in front of Rin his hand still wrapped around his throat.

"Apologize to the girl," Sesshomaru commanded.

"S-sorry."

"Not loud enough."

"Sesshomaru stop! Let him go." Rin yelled halting Sesshomaru's movement.

He let go of the demon who quickly sped off with his friends. They didn't need to be told twice to know that they had no chance of winning against him.

When Sesshomaru was certain the threat was clear, he sensed her fear and he hoped it wasn't of him. Her body trembled slightly and she had her hand over her mouth in sheer horror. Her eyes were glassy from unshed tears and he could only imagine what he looked like to her.

"D-d-did you really have to do that?" She whispered. If he didn't have enhanced hearing he would have missed it.

He breathed heavily trying to keep his emotions in control. What he really wanted to do was to kill that stupid wolf demon but he knew she would never speak to him again if he did.

"It was necessary."

"WHAT!" she gawked at him, "How is breaking someone's arm, _necessary_." she hissed.

He paused for a moment before speaking. "Because he touched what was not his."

Rin stared at this mystery man trying to get a clue as to what he meant. "As far as I'm concerned, no one owns me."

A low warning growl rose in Sesshomaru's chest and he hated the fact that he couldn't tell her anything. Not until she passed the next two tests.

The boy in Rin's lap groaned, drawing her attention away from Sesshomaru for the moment. She winced when she saw that his eye was swelling up and knew that he'd be suffering from a black eye for the next couple days.

"Can you please help me take him to the hospital?" She asked the demon desperately. He probably wanted nothing to do with her anymore after saving her so many times; helping her find her lost bracelet, helping her when _she _was lost, and now saving her ass for stupidly getting in the middle of a demon fight.

Without a word he lifted the boy out of her lap and strode back to the path leading out of the park. She took this as her cue to follow and ran after him to catch up.

Once Sesshomaru reached his car, Rin gasped in astonishment. It was a low-rise, black convertible that looked _very _well kept. The windows shone and it looked like the car was freshly cleaned. How rich was his family? What kind of high schooler drives a convertible?

A very wealthy one it seems…

Sesshomaru placed the boy in the back seats so that he was lying across both two. It didn't look comfortable but it was the best he could do in such a small car. He held the front door open, motioning for Rin to get in and she blushed at his gentlemanly gesture. She got in the car slowly, making sure to pull her skirt down as she got in awkwardly. He shut the door after her and in no time he was in the drivers seat and making his way to the hospital.

When arriving at the hospital, Sesshomaru handled it well. Rin didn't have to say a thing and if the nurses asked questions, he would answer for her. His reasoning for the boy's injuries was thuggery and they left the boy in good care.

"I should visit him tomorrow to see how he's going. How could they just do that to him?" Rin muttered under her breath as she walked with Sesshomaru out of the hospital.

"He is no longer your responsibility so leave him be."

"How can you be so calm in a situation like this?" Rin asked in disbelief.

"Hn"

"Hn, is not an answer! It's not even a freaking word! God you're all about hn this, and hn that! No wond-" Rin's anger was spiking again as she remembered that they had some unfinished things to talk about.

At this point they were standing by his car again and he cut her off, "Rin, get in the car."

"I'm not going anywhere with you ev-"

"Get in the car," He ordered more sternly.

The look on his face said he wasn't in the mood so she obediently got in the car. Before long she realised he was taking her home. He pulled up at her house and got out of the car to open her door.

"Ya know you don't have to keep doing that. Hey…how'd you know where-" She mumbled but he cut her off, _again, _by slamming his car door and speeding off. "I live…" She finished.

"THAT JERK!" She yelled.

He yet again managed to avoid her questions.


End file.
